Reports& surveys

4K: how long before it is mainstream?Given that so few consumers have 4K televisions in their homes, it’s remarkable just how many of our respondents have already filmed in 4K. Some 23% of our respondents say they have shot in 4K over the past year, on cameras such as the Red Epic or Sony F55. 33% plan to shoot in the format next year.

Many say they are filming in 4K to future-proof their productions or because they want to achieve the best quality visuals possible for a high-end doc or commercial.

Fewer have mastered in 4K though, choosing to downconvert to HD for post production. The few projects that have mastered in 4K include brand and feature films as well as theatrical docs.

One of the most remarkable stats to emerge from this survey, though, is that nearly 50% of our respondents have never seen 4K played out on any kind of screen. If the professionals haven’t yet seen it, 4K has still got some way to go before it’s mainstream. The consensus, according to our survey, is that it will be 5-6 years before 4K is commonplace in the home.